*A Disappointing Announcement

Today I have sad news to share. Vietnam will close to US adoptions September 1st. This is incredibly sad news for adoptions in Vietnam. But, even sadder for us is that Vietnam will only complete the adoptions of those families who have referrals by September 1st. There is still a chance this could be us, but it is not likely.

I have noticed that my heart hasn't been so into this adoption as I feel it should be. I'm not sure if it is because I am guarding myself, or if the Lord is using this to guide us to other options, or if He is protecting me from the grief that I could feel, had I been more attached. I am sad, don't get me wrong. But surprisingly, I am not devastated.

The Lord has been reminding me of His promises that "All things work for the good of those who love God." And that His plans for our lives (including Liv's) are hopeful and good (Jeremiah 29:11). This is part of His plan. He called us to adopt, and He will bring it to completion. I can say that and I do believe it, but I pray for more faith, and that God would confirm this calling on our lives.

Here is the statement from the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam:
On April 25, the Government of Vietnam announced that it will allow adoption to be completed in cases where prospective adoptive parents have been matched with a child and received an official referral prior to September 1, 2008. It further stated that in accordance with Vietnamese law, the DIA will suspend the acceptance of new dossiers on July 1, 2008. On September 1, 2008 any dossier that has not received a referral will be closed and returned to the Adoption Service Provider. In view of the processing time required in Vietnam from placement to the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, an adoption process begun now cannot be completed before the current Agreement expires.

So, if we don't have a referral before the close, our dossier will be sent back. That makes me even more sad. Our hope and prayer is that Vietnam will reopen to US adoption in 2009 sometime. That would hopefully mean that if we didn't have a referral this time, that we would be toward the top of the list when it reopens, but I am not sure if I should have this hope or not. I need more information from our agency.

The Embassy also released a "Summary of Irregularities" about Vietnam orphanges/adoptions that is rather alarming. As I read it, I think maybe it is best if we don't receive a referral because so many children are being given up unethically. I do want to adopt a child that needs a family - not one who was given up just to make money. I don't want to always wonder if she really was an orphan. Maybe our child is somewhere else.

Among the things the Summary listed were (found at Voices for VN Adoption Integrity):

• strong financial incentive to maximize the number of children available for foreign adoption in their centers - those orphanages that have this incentive have seen a huge increase in the number of "abandoned" children in their facilities, while those without the incentive have not. It appears that some orphanage directors are trying to get more babies into their orphanage so they will receive more money!!
• during the required search and wait for a birth parent to come forward and claim their child, the information is not being properly advertised
• families have applied for domestic adoptions in Vietnam, but are often not processed because orphanages receive less money for domestic adoptions than they do for international. But, domestic adoptions are best option!!!
• the number of "abandoned" children has skyrocketed in orphanages were there is incentive, but remained stable elsewhere. Facilitators are deliberately staging fraudulent desertions to conceal the identity of the birth parents.
• Birth parents are receiving way more than enough in financial "compensation" for giving up their child - more than about a year's wages. Sometimes these parents are told their child will visit them often, and/or return home at a certain age, and/or send money from the US - all of which does not happen
• Often the individual who purportedly found the child (child finder) is a police officer, a village official or a member of their immediate family. These individuals are often related to the orphanage director or the local official who approves adoptions. Embassy investigations have shown that many of these reports are fraudulent.
• In five provinces, the Embassy has discovered unlicensed, unregulated facilities that provide free room and board to pregnant women in return for their commitment to relinquish their children upon birth.
• Attempts by U.S. officials to verify the accuracy of these documents have routinely uncovered evidence of fraudulent or inaccurate information. Fraudulent police reports have also been submitted to the Embassy in connection with adoption cases.

I am sad for Vietnam - that all this is going on and devastating the lives of many. And, I am sad for our family. I want to move forward. I want another child, and I want it by adoption. I don't want to wait forever. When we started this process a year ago (almost to the day!) I knew we could face huge hurdles. And, here they are. When is a hurdle so big that we should change course?

Will you pray with us for Vietnam adoptions, and for God's guidance as we decide what to do now?

Thank you.